Statute of Monopolies

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common law

The Statute of Monopolies of 1623 confirmed that monopolies were contrary to common law but made exceptions for patentable inventions, and a statute of 1601 became the basis of the privileges enjoyed by charitable trusts. Additionally, the series of Poor Laws enacted in the late 16th…

patents

…in 1623 Parliament enacted the Statute of Monopolies. Although the statute prohibited most royal monopolies, it specifically preserved the right to grant “letters patent” for inventions of new manufactures for up to 14 years. In the United States the Constitution authorizes Congress to create a national patent system to “promote…